An interiors, vintage style and crafts blog, Patchwork Harmony features inspiring ideas for your home from vintage and thrifty finds to independent designers and makers. We share DIY tutorials, handmade ideas as well as shopping tips for vintage lovers and interior styling advice for your home. Part of the Patchwork Harmony brand which includes online digital publication 91 Magazine, as well as freelance writing, picture research, design and creative small business advice.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

A thrifty Christmas Decoration DIY

If you liked the gold leaves in my recent gift wrapping post, then you will hopefully love this too! I had gathered up loads of leaves when in Richmond Park at the weekend, so I decided to make a leaf garland for the mantlepiece. We are frantically saving for our wedding in June, so spending money on decorations this year wasn't really an option. So this is pretty much a free idea which I think looks subtle but glamourous! All you need is a can of gold spray paint, I got mine in Homebase for less than £2.

So to make: When I got my bag of leaves home I went through and picked out all the best shaped ones, discarding any that were too ripped up. I then laid them on a baking tray and put them in the oven on a low temp for literally a couple of minutes, just to get the excess water and any dampness off them. Next, the fun bit! There is something really satisfying about spray painting stuff! And I love how it *leaves* (haha! get it!) a stenciled pattern underneath the leaf....

Leave the paint to dry for around an hour or so and then all you need to do is get a needle and thread and stitch together your leaves into a garland! simples! Mix up the sizes of the leaves and you can overlap some for a fuller look if you like. I also added in a few triangles of vintage sheet music to break it up and add interest. And thats it! get hanging!

To continue with the gold theme, I also made a few mini paper pom poms. Again super cheap to do and look really effective - giving your room a festive but understated and classy look!

And of course you don't have to paint your leaves gold, you can go for any color you like! So there you go! Who says Christmas has to be an expensive time of year?! xxx